


Not the Sort of Warning I Need

by ursweetheartless



Series: Straight Six [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Dark!Tony Stark, Darker!Bucky, He's In This One, M/M, Mirror Universe, Not Particularly Steve Rogers Friendly, Tony Stark should get a hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:42:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23877130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ursweetheartless/pseuds/ursweetheartless
Summary: They were down in the lab, in New York, when Friday announced it.“Steve Rogers is in the lobby. He’s demanding to speak with you, boss. Shall I send him down?”Tonylaughedat that suggestion. Rogers wasn’t coming anywherenearthe lab if he could help it.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark
Series: Straight Six [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1720822
Comments: 6
Kudos: 328





	Not the Sort of Warning I Need

**Author's Note:**

> not what i should be working on, as usual, but it is what it is.
> 
> enjoy?

you say you came to see me,   
because you had nothing else to do,   
but i've got a radio.   
you say you'd thought you'd stop on by   
and let me have a look at you,   
but i've got a radio.   
-Solomon Revisited, the Mountain Goats

* * *

They were down in the lab, in New York, when Friday announced it. They’d only been there for a little more than a day, which made it creepy, but there was a Hydra base they wanted to hit about two hours flight north of the city, and it seemed like an acceptable base for the moment. Tony didn’t seem to like being back there much, which put James on edge, but he wasn’t prepared to argue about it.

“Steve Rogers is in the lobby. He’s demanding to speak with you, boss.” Tony looked over at James, who was fighting with a soldering iron and a pile of tiny boards on the back bench. Tony had been absolutely fine with giving James his own simple projects, once it became clear that he worked better with something to do. At the moment, James was working on integrating Jarvis and the servers into his own goggles, using schematics that Tony had drawn up and hung in the air in front of him. “Shall I send him down?”

Tony _laughed_ at that suggestion. Rogers wasn’t coming anywhere _near_ the lab if he could help it.

“No, Fri. Send him up to the old common floor, I’ll be up in a minute.” Tony dropped the plates he’d been fiddling with and grabbed a towel for the sweat that was beading on his brow. He turned to look at James, who was watching him intently. “Do you know why he’s here, Fri? How much he knows?”

James carefully disentangled himself from the soldering iron and the exhaust fan cord, setting things down on his meticulously organized station. Tony wiped the rag across his face, and James fought down a smile as he watched.

“I’m pretty sure he doesn’t know anything, boss. He wants to barter with you for resources. He’s looking for James still.” Friday sounded smug. Tony grinned.

“Why does he think I have any idea where his precious _Bucky_ is?” Tony said, and James stepped into his space. He was smiling softly, a clean shop rag in his hand.

“Co’mere, doll. You have a little something on your face.” James chided, gently tilting Tony’s head back so that he could dab the clean rag over his cheeks. Tony smiled, and when James pulled the rag away he looked down into Tony’s eyes, warm with his pupils blown wide.

“Hi,” Tony said softly. “So what’s the play here, hotshot? You ready to rub it in his face? Or do you wanna lay low for now?”

James thought hard about it for a moment, then ducked his head.

“Let’s hold off for now. I don’t know what his play is, but I don’t like or trust it.” James said, just loud enough for Tony to hear. He studied Tony’s face carefully. “I don’t love sending you up there all by your lonesome though. He’s gonna get his self-righteous, patriotic stink all over you.”

Tony grinned, and fiddled with the front of James’ shirt, an old T-shirt that had always been a bit too big for Tony, but stretched over James’ chest like a goddamn glove.

“Yeah? You wanna mark your territory first?” Tony teased. James blinked down at him seriously for a moment before he leaned down, taking Tony’s mouth in a deep kiss. Then he kissed his way down Tony’s jaw to suck a bruise into the side of Tony’s neck. When he pulled back they were both breathing heavy, and the bruise was dark and fresh, still glistening a little, high enough that it definitely showed over Tony’s collar.

“Don’t worry, Tasty Freeze. I’ll be back in a bit.” Tony said, voice high and tight. James grinned down at him. “Friday will keep an eye on captain asshole, protect my virtue. She’ll even let you watch.” Tony said it with a wink, the double entendre clearly intended. For a moment, James thought about just bending him over one of the benches, taking care of him, and then sweeping up to kick Rogers’ ass like he deserved. He didn’t though, because Tony could take care of himself.

“Okay,” He said, and gave Tony a parting kiss to the forehead, soft and sweet. Then he stepped back.

* * *

Tony burst out of the elevator, pleased that Steve was standing in the general vicinity of the couches looking like he didn’t want to be here at all. Tony couldn’t really blame him. The bots kept it pretty clean in here, but you could tell from the weird scent of the place — cleaning chemicals and stale air — that no one spent any time there. Tony forced a smile, and Steve relaxed a little when he saw him.

“Oh thank _god_. Stark, I need your help.” Steve said, as soon as Tony had stepped into the room. Tony tried not to roll his eyes, but it was a battle.

“I kinda figured that much, Cap. I’m a _genius_ and you never stop by unless you need something.” Tony said, tone cold “So what is it this time?”

Steve looked at him with big eyes, like he was _hurt_. Tony smiled a sharp press smile.

“C’mon cap, out with it. My schedule is pretty tight, I don’t have all that much time to stare at your pretty face.” Tony bit out, tapping his foot impatiently.

“God Tony,” Steve almost whined, “why are you _like this?_ ”

Tony grinned.

“Oooo, are we on a first-name basis now, _Stevie?_ ” Tony said, and Steve flinched a little at the nickname. It was kind of a low blow, but Tony didn’t give a fuck. “I’m _always like this,_ it’s part of my charm. I’m a busy man these days, plenty of extracurriculars to keep me occupied.”

Steve pulled a face, but then he took a deep breath. He didn’t look particularly calm afterward.

“ _Look,_ ” Steve started, a little sharp. Tony kind of wanted to call him on his tone, just to push his buttons. He wanted Steve out of his house more though. “I need your help. Bucky is still out there, somewhere, and SHIELD won’t help me find him. I know you’re a decent guy, Stark. I just need... I need to _find_ Bucky.”

Tony rolled his eyes.

“And how can I help with that, Cap? I’m not really in the avenging business anymore. You guys didn’t want me.” Tony said, steel in his voice, cold and hard. Steve had the decency to look guilty about that one.

“I just... look, Tony, I need your help. I know you’ve got a new team, And you’ve been taking down Hydra bases.” Steve said, sounding tired. Tony nodded. “I can’t imagine... if Bucky was free, if he broke out, he would have come to me. I have to believe that. So he’s still in there, somewhere. If you see him, don’t hurt him. If you get the chance to get him out, please... please just bring him home. And if he’s out there somewhere, escaped but confused, just… bring him home.”

Tony nodded, trying not to giggle.

“Oh, that’s a promise I can keep, Rogers. If I find Barnes, I’ll bring him back home safe.”

Steve fixed him with his ridiculous, apple pie and freedom smile.

“Thanks, Tony, that means a lot to me,” he said, “I’m going to keep tracking down leads where I can. If you keep an eye out too, maybe have Jarvis look for him. I mean, you guys found the cube and the staff and stuff, you could probably find Bucky, right? I’m sure we’ll find him one of these days.”

Tony made a noncommittal noise, and stared past Steve, out the window. He didn’t make a comment about Jarvis, about how he wasn’t helping Tony with anything anymore. He didn’t say anything about how maybe _Bucky_ didn’t want to be found. About how Bucky was _gone_ now. The little spark of _I know something you don’t know_ joy was gone from him though.

“Have you been back to Romania? That was his last known address, when he was out, right? He has to have gone somewhere from there, right?” Tony knew for a fact that Steve had been there. Hell, he’d probably spent more time there than James had at this point. It sounded vaguely helpful though, without saying anything, and it would keep Steve out of the way. Away from James.

Steve stepped up beside him and clapped a hand onto his shoulder. Tony knew he was sending him one of those stupid smiles again.

“Boss, your friend is asking how much longer you’re going to spend up here.” Friday broke in, and Tony smiled down at his shoes. It didn’t take long for James to get antsy. To be fair, if it was the other way around he never would have made it this long. He probably wouldn’t have let James come up here alone in the first place.

“Yeah, Fri, tell him I’ll be down soon,” Tony said, still staring down at the floor for another moment. Then he looked up, cocking his head to the side slightly as he turned back to Steve. He knew he was showing off the mark James had left on his neck, still dark and new. “Anything else, Cap?”

He saw the exact moment that Steve noticed, and then the next moment, where he realized that Tony wasn’t going to give him any more than that. Once upon a time, they shared things. Well, Tony shared things. Not anymore. Steve shook his head.

“Have a great trip then. You can see yourself out.” Tony strolled back to the elevator. “Fri, workshop, please. And let him know I’m on my way back to him.”

He kept eye contact with Steve as he said it until the door slid shut between them. He saw Steve realize this was serious then, not a fling.

James was waiting at the door when he got back to the workshop, smiling, and pulled him into another searing kiss against the back wall of the elevator.

* * *

James hiked Tony up, lifted him off his feet easily. Tony wrapped his legs around James’ waist tightly and held on to him for dear life as James carried him out of the elevator, devouring his mouth the whole time.

Tony lost himself in the kiss, until James dropped him heavily onto one of the bench tops, clearing the surface with a sweep of his arm. The tools and materials clattered loud as they hit the floor. Tony scrambled to keep hold of James’ shoulders as James yanked his pants open, then down his hips roughly. Tony gasped at the show of force, and the way James wrapped a hand around his cock. It was harsh and quick, almost dry, and Tony hissed at the sensation.

“Fuck, James _please_.” Tony groaned out, bucking up into his hand. James smiled sharp and predatory, pumping Tony’s cock faster as he nipped at Tony’s neck. “Please, please James, I’m close, don’t wanna cum yet _please_. Want you inside of me first James, Sugar, please.”

James faltered at that, hand skipping a few beats. They hadn’t done that down here before, they weren’t prepared for it. The idea made him moan low in his throat, suddenly desperate for it now that Tony mentioned it.

“We’re not stocked down here, doll,” James said into Tony’s collarbone. Tony made a strangled sort of noise in response. “Do you want me to take you upstairs?”

“There’s lube in the drawer by the door.” Tony panted, bucking his hips up into James’ hand desperately. James bit his lip.

“Condom?” Tony shook his head.

“Don’t care. Need you.” Tony whined, “need you to get the captain’s stink off me, James, honey please.” James watched Tony crack his eye open at the end, and caught the smirk that twitched up the sides of his mouth.

“Brat” James muttered as he pulled away, but only long enough to grab the lube from the desk. Tony was smiling when he got back, reaching up to pull James back down into a filthy kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> comments kudos and concrit encouraged, please validate me.
> 
> and come yell at me on tunglr im [@ursweetheartless](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/ursweetheartless)


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